Nick Lorusso’s walk-off homer propels Maryland baseball to 2-1 win over Nebraska

In the 10th inning of a tie ballgame, Nick Lorusso entered the batter’s box for Maryland baseball. 

Lorusso has had a monumental season for the Terps — breaking record after record — and the third baseman stepped up to the plate looking to push the Terps over the Cornhuskers. 

With one swing, the senior did just that.

On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Lorusso smashed a walk off home run into left field, celebrating as he rounded the bases before his teammates greeted him at home with a mosh pit. Lorusso’s home run lifted Maryland baseball (39-19, 18-7 B1G) over Nebraska (32-22-1, 15-10 B1G), 2-1, to send the Terps to the Big Ten tournament semifinals. 

The pitching staff had kept Maryland in the game, holding Nebraska to its lone run and four hits through ten innings. Nick Dean and David Falco Jr. recorded nine combined strikeouts in the first nine, while Jason Savacool added another two in extra innings. 

Both teams struggled to get onto the board early in the game. An RBI groundout by junior right fielder Cole Evans in the second inning was the only run scored by either team in the first four innings. 

Junior right-hander Jace Kaminska gave the Maryland offense struggles in his start. For the first three innings, two Luke Shliger leadoff singles were the only hits recorded by the Terps. Sophomore center fielder Elijah Lambros added another single in the fourth inning, only to be another Terp left on base after a Jacob Orr flyout. 

Kaminska’s performance was a stark contrast from his struggles against the Terps earlier this month in College Park. Maryland bombarded Kaminska for six hits and seven runs as the right-hander exited in the fourth inning. 

Kaminski exited in the sixth for the Cornhuskers, finishing his day with five strikeouts and holding the Terps to just one earned run. 

Meanwhile, Maryland senior right-hander Nick Dean was giving the Cornhuskers their own struggles. Other than the one run in the second inning, Nebraska couldn’t manage to notch another with Dean on the mound. Dean initiated soft contact continuously, forcing six groundouts throughout the game. He also commanded the strike zone as he finished with five strikeouts and held the Cornhuskers to two hits.

Dean pitched 6.1 innings and was pulled in the seventh inning for redshirt sophomore right-hander Nigel Belgrave. 

The Terps got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the fifth. Junior second baseman Kevin Keister put the Terps in scoring position after a leadoff double. Keister then advanced to third base on a groundout by Shliger before junior shortstop Matt Shaw sent him home with a single up the middle, tying the game at one apiece. 

The Terps had a chance to put more on the board later in the inning. Senior third baseman Nick Lorusso followed the run with a single of his own, and then sophomore designated hitter Ian Petrutz was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Maryland couldn’t convert, however, as sophomore first baseman Eddie Hacopian flew out and fifth-year right fielder Matt Woods struck out swinging.

The Terps were unable to follow up scoring in the sixth as Kaminska retired all three Maryland batters, including a swinging strikeout by Keister for the final out.

Belgrave, after entering to replace Dean to start the seventh, would only throw one pitch before a lengthy weather delay. Once the game resumed — after about 90 minutes — redshirt junior right-hander David Falco Jr. took the mound. Falco Jr. got the Terps the final two outs of the seventh, staring into the chirping Nebraska dugout after ending the inning with a strikeout. 

Falco Jr. followed up with another shutout inning in the eighth, striking out back-to-back batters to close the frame. Falco came up huge again in the ninth, recording his fourth and final strikeout to keep the Cornhuskers scoreless with runners on second and third. 

With the game entering extras, junior right-hander Jason Savacool entered from the bullpen for Maryland and kept the Cornhuskers at one run with two strikeouts. It was only the second appearance out of the bullpen for Maryland’s ace, with his last appearance coming in the NCAA Regionals last year. 

It was all Maryland needed, as Lorusso walked off the next inning to give Maryland the victory. 

The Terps will next take on the winner of Nebraska and Michigan State on Saturday.